Steel input shaft retainer; needs shims?

[65ShelbyClone]

I removed my stock aluminum retainer and compared it to my new steel one from Summit and the height of the shoulder on the aluminum flanges that bolt to the trans are slightly different. The stock bearing race had a shim of some sort under it. I tried to put the steel one on with the shim and just hand tightened it down, but the bearing seemd to bind. I also tried it the same way with no shim and it had alot of slop. My stock one has 174k on it, but seems to be in decent shape with only minor grooves, but I'd rather not reuse it.

Is it common to need extra shims when replacing the retainer?

 

[Chetly]

did you place the shim inside or on the outside of the bearing race. You should slide the bearing race out of the bearing retainer and place the shim. If one is too tight and the other is to loose, you need a different shim. If you have a dial indicator. Attach it to the tailhousing shaft and pull and push on the input shaft, measure then endplay. Whatever the endplay is, you need a shim of that much. If you take your larger shim, a machine shop can grind it down to the size you need. Or if you donw want to go through all that trouble, just drop it off at a transmission shop and tell them to shim it up for you.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

I put the shim in the retainer then the bearing race on top of that, just like it came out. Otherwise the shim would kinda get squashed.... I forgot to mention that I already reinstalled the stocker for now.

Well, I'd like to take it to a shop, but the transmission is kinda still in the car, and the engine is going in by this weekend come Hell or high water. That and I'm broke. My dad runs a machine shop and I'm working there tomorrow, so maybe I'll see about making some shims.

It seems to me that if the aftermarket bearing retainers were made to the same dimensions as the stock piece, there wouldnt be a problem. Anyone else?

 

[Chetly]

If you work at a machine shop, ill imagine you have access to a dail indicator. Check the endplay and get a shim for taht much. You might have one laying around at the machine shop. Ask one of the other technitions there, they will probably know. If the transmission is still in the car, how do you replace the retainer.

 

[SwAmPf0x]

I used the same shim and didnt have any endplay, but we are talking thousandths of an inch here, so manufacturing tolerances come into play, sounds like you need a different shim in your case, you can order a shim pack from http://www.hanlonmotorsports.com

 

[65ShelbyClone]

but we are talking thousandths of an inch here, so manufacturing tolerances come into play

We're also talking about the capabilities of modern CNC machining, in which case hitting a tolerance of +/- .001" is not hard. Hell, its not hard on a 35 year old manual lathe. I can SEE the difference in my part. If were talking ten thousandths of an inch, I might be more understanding. Thanks for the URL, though.

If this turns into a fiasco, I'm just going to keep my stock piece.

 

[blown5.0]

like they all stated above, the shim is there to setup the endplay. so you need to measure it and shim it correctly or your gonna have problems, I'll have to check my books tonight when I get home but you'll need at least 2 or 3 thousands endplay.

 

[93 teal terror]

Don't forget to put sealant around the new retainer, or else you'll be buying cases of tranny fluid.